Lock and indicator for holding and locating keys, tools, and other portable articles



O Oct. 30 1923.

' E. A. FALCONER LOCK AND INDICATOR FOR HOLDING AND LOCA'I'ING KEYS, TOOLS, AND

OTHER PORTABLE ARTICLES Filed Nov. l4, 1918 Patented Oct. 30, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD ALARIC FALCONER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

LOCK AND INDICATOR FOE HOLDING AND LOC ATING KEYS, TOOLS, AND OTHER PORTABLE ARTICLES.

Application filed November 14, 1918. Serial No. 262,592.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L, 1313.)

To alt v0. 1 om. it may concern Be it known that EDWARD Amino FAL- CONER, a sub ect of the King of Great Br1t- V aim and Ireland, residing at 9 Kensington Park Road, Notting Hill Gate, London, England, has invented certain new and useful Improvements inan Improved Lock and Indicator forl-lolding and Locating Keys, Tools. and Other Portable Articles, (for which I have filed an application in Eng land August 3, 1915, Patent No. 11,233), of which the following is a specification.

Vi here a key, special tool or other article is kept in a special place for the common use of a number of persons, for example, in an ofiice, store, warehouse, workshop, factory, hotel, or other place, it frequently happens that much time is lost in searching for such key or article when same is not in its usual place as there is no means for indicating by whom it was'last removed.

Now this invention has for its object to provide a lock and indicator for locking articles as described in such manner that they cannot be taken away without leaving behind an indication showing which of the persons having access thereto has removed them and comprises a lock or hold ing device (hereinafter called the locator) provided with a retaining catch or catches and a key which is adapted to be held in the locator by the catch or catches aforesaid and only capable of being released by the insertion of a particular token or indicator which after releasing the key and permitting its withdrawal remains in the locator until the key is again inserted.

The locator key has secured to it the article to be located, which may be another key or bunch of keys, at special tool or some other article. Each person entitled to use the said article is provided with a token or indicator bearing a number or other means of identificat-ion so that the keys or articles if taken away can be traced at once by looking at the token left in the locator, which token is exposed through a suitable aperture.

The invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings which are drawn to an enlarged scale for clearness of illustration and in which.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of-a locator constructed according to this invention with the cover or casing removed,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the locator with the cover or casing in posit-ion,

Fig. 3 is a plan partly in section,

Figs. 4 and 5 are views of the locator key drawn at right angles to one another,

Figs. 6 and 7 are face and edge views of the token or indicator,

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the locator, with the cover or casing in position,

Fig. 9 is an inverted plan of the same, showing the token and key slots.

As shown the locator which is conveniently constructed of stamped sheet metal parts comprises a raised sheet metal back a. capable of being fixed to a wall by screwsor the like, and a cover or casing b which may be fixed to the back a by tongues and slots, soldering or other means, and is formed with an insertion slot 0 in its upper end and a delivery slot 0 in its lower end for the token or indicator 0?. A plate e is fixed to the back a by bent strips (1 which space the plate from the back a, and the edges of the plate are bent forward as shown at e to form a guide passage in line with the end slots 0 c for receiving and guiding the token or indicator {Z through the locator. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the token (Z is formed of a metal disc or ring bearing a number or identification mark, and is provided with ribs or bends al which fit corresponding wards in the slots 0 0. but any other suitable shapes maybe given to the tokens and slots to prevent unauthorized use of the locator.

A catch lever f is pivoted between the token guide and back (A and bent at one end P to project through a suitable aperture c in the guide 6 where it is held by a spring 9 in the path of the token (Z when inserted in the locator, the other end of the catch lever being formed with a nose or projection 7" arranged to snap into a notch 72, in the locator key 2'. The locator key 2' is formed of a narrow strip of metal suitably notched to engage thenose f of the catch lever f and rounded or inclined adjacent the said notch to force the catch lever aside as the key enters or is withdrawn from the locat-or for the purpose of freeing the token as hereinafter described. A central rib or ward i is also formed on the key which enters a correspondingly shaped guide 2' fixed to the back a of the casing. For the insertion of the key a slot is provided in the lowerthe token (Z is arrested by' a spring catch la and supported directly behind an opening- Z in the casing through which the token can be seen and identified. The spring catch it consists of a strip oi steel soldered or otherwise fixed to the back a of the casing and formed with a tongue 76 arranged to project through a slot in the plate 0 into the path of the token (Z. An extension 2' on the end of the key 71 operates on the lower end of the catch Z0 to withdraw the tongue 70 and release the token (Z, but in the normal position of the catch lever the catch is locked by a projection m which lies against the catch lever f so that the token cannot be released by the unauthorized user of an instrument other than the proper key.

In operation the article to be located is attached to the locator key '5 by a ring or other means and the key t' is inserted in the locator and held by the engagement of the catch lever therewith. WVhen a person re: quires the article held by the locator he inserts his token into the slot in the locator, which bears against the adjacent end f of the catch lever and by forcing that end of the lever aside causes the nose or projection f on the opposite or key engaging end to release the key. The withdrawal ot the key brings the curved edge portion i, into engagement with the hook 7", and produces a further movement of the lever in the same direction. so that the token is in turn released" by the lever and falls on to the spring catch which supports it opposite the display aperture Z in the locatcr :asing where itreinains toshow which person has taken the article from the locator. On the return of the article with the locator key, the locator key is inserted in the locator forcing the nose ot' the lever aside until said nose engages in the notch 1. Before the token is releasedhowever, the key must be pressed in still further until the part of the key below the notch brings about a lateral. displacement of the lever f sui'iicient to Withdraw it out of the path of the propections m on the. catch in to enable the catch to be operated by the nose '2' on the end of the key to withdraw the tongue 71: from the path of the token and'thus allow it tofall' out through the slot 0 After the delivery of the token the key is left in the locator be ng again engaged and, held by the catch lever until released by the insertion of a token into the locator. p 7

A; pairfof catch levers arranged crosswise may also be used in place of asingle lever:

for retaining the key and co-operating with the token for the release of same, and it will be undertsood that this or other niodificatlOllS in'the constructioi'i of the apparatus may be made withoutdeparting. trom the principle of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims. The locator can be made in single units as shown in drawing or in multiple units where it is desired to locate a number of articles at one slot such as hotel keyboards, tool racks. and the like when each key and token would be differently formed ior its particular unit. The locator can also be made in cast metal or other suitable material.

That he claims and desires .to secure by Letteres Patent is 3 1. A lock and indicator rm? holding and lo cating keys, tools and other portable articles comprising acasing capable of: being fixed to a wallor support and having a key receiving slot in one end, a key arranged to enter the casing through said slot and carrying the article or articles to be located, a token likewise arranged to enter the casing and bearing an identification mark, 7 number or the like, said casingfbeuig iurj ther provided with. an aperturefor permitting inspection of atok-en retained in the casing, and retaining means in the casing co-operating with the key and'token in such manner that the insertionof the token e'ffects the release of the key. and retention ot the token which is exposed through the aperture in the casing while the insertionot the key effects the release of the token and;

retention oi? the key so thatbotli cannot be IGIIIOVGCl'iIt the same time. i i r 2, A lock and indicator according to claim I wherein the key and token retaining means consists oi? interlocking spring and lever catches operating in token and key guides, the catches being, arranged to pr iject into the pathsfot the token and key and operated when theseare inserted in the casing substantiallyas described. V v

In testimony whereof he has atlixed his signature. V V

EDVVARD ALARIC FALCON ER, 

